Title: It Should Have Been You
Author: Michael Murphy
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: Novel (240 pages)
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (July 29th 2013)
Heat Level: Mild
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4Hearts
Blurb: After a hit-and-run driver kills David McCleary, his mother, Frieda McCleary, tells her younger son, Patrick, “It should have been you.” While the McCleary family limps along for a while, it clearly died with David. In an effort to deal with her son’s death, Frieda joins a fundamentalist church while her family watches her become a stranger. When she discovers Patrick is gay, she is convinced he is the reason David was taken from her. Patrick’s father runs interference, but when he leaves town for work, she throws Patrick out onto the streets.
As a blond-haired, blue-eyed sixteen-year-old kid from the suburbs, Patrick has lived a sheltered life and doesn’t have a clue how to survive on his own. He’s struggling until he meets a local priest running a homeless shelter who introduces Patrick to Juan, a street-savvy Latino youth wise beyond his years, and they strike up an instant rapport.
It’s not pretty, but they’re making it together, until one night, Juan goes off with a stranger to earn a few bucks… and doesn’t come back. Patrick is determined to find him, regardless the danger and cost.
Product Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4040
Reviewer: Tams
Review: Patrick McCleary’s life is turned upside down after his brother is killed by a hit and run driver. His mother, who has always been unkind, becomes downright vindictive and cruel. Telling him, ‘it should have been you’. I cried like a frickin baby, I wanted to climb into my kindle and ring the woman’s neck! Anyway, I digress. In a mind-boggling series of unfortunate events, Patrick ends up homeless and seemingly abandoned by his parents.
He obviously has a guardian angel that leads him to the sanctuary of a local church where he finds shelter at night when needed, and food. He also finds love with another homeless gay teen, Juan. When Juan doesn’t come back to the shelter as planned after a trick, Patrick knows he’s in trouble. He and Father Tom set out to find Juan and hopefully bring him home, or at least the only home they have, safe. But Juan has fallen prey to some rather unsavory men; will Patrick and Tom get to him in time?
Murphy did an excellent job of portraying a young and innocent character with Patrick. His pain and growth throughout the story was evident and conveyed well within the context. At the tender age of 16, he lost everything and ended up homeless. He was one of the lucky ones though, unlike his friend and lover Juan. Murphy gave us a completely innocent character who managed to maintain the majority of his innocence throughout. He took on the dreaded priest issue by giving us someone who truly cared for these young, homeless boys and didn’t take advantage of their circumstance.
There isn’t a lot of smexy romance in this book, although I was extremely pleased that Patrick’s first time was portrayed within a loving relationship with Juan. So, heat wise it’s a mild read, but the story more than makes up for what’s lacking it that area. Overall, this was a dramatic read with strong characters and a solid storyline.